Red Fox

The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is part of the Canidae family along with dogs, wolves and jackals. As well as the UK, the Red Fox is also found in Australia, Japan, America, Europe and many other areas.

The Red Fox lives in family groups, these groups include the dog (male) the vixen (female) and their cubs if the vixen has had any yet. During the day they live in their dens, which are often old rabbit warrens or badger setts.

Because foxes are scavengers they will eat any scraps you leave out and they also attack livestock from time to time as well as small mammals and birds. If you want to attract any foxes a bowl of dog food or an old chicken carcass is a great way to attract them.

During the summer they moult so their appearance can be rather scruffy, they look their best mainly in the winter and autumn when their coats are full and bushy.

Mating takes place during December to February and they have litters of about 4 cubs which are born blind and they stay in the den until their eyes open and eventually their mother teaches them how to hunt. If disturbs, the mother will move the cubs, carrying them by the scruff of the neck.

In Britain they used to be hunted for sport, using horses and foxhounds, but recent laws have banned this in the UK, though in other countries this is still allowed. In many countries they are classed as an invasive species, particularly in Australia, where they are responsible for the near extinction of many rare bird species. Since modern farming methods have led to a lot of habitat loss for farmland animals, the Red Fox has managed to adapt to an urban lifestyle, where they often feed on people's rubbish and are sometimes considered a pest.